An Ocoee, Florida, man is accused of using the names and information of several well-known celebrities, athletes and lawmakers to write and cash fake checks.
"This is another clear case of identity theft and it shows us no one is immune," Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent Danny Banks told WFTV.
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According to court paperwork, Michael Watters used the names of 22 famous individuals, including:
- Johnny Damon, professional baseball player
- Howie Dorough, Backstreet Boys singer
- Jennifer Capriati, professional tennis player
- Randal Thomas, Morgan & Morgan attorney
- John Morgan, Morgan & Morgan attorney
- Barry Larkin, professional baseball player
- Joseph Philbin, professional basketball coach
- Jason Taylor, professional football player
- Zach Thomas, professional football player
- Matthew Birk, professional football player
- Sterling Hitchcock, professional basketball player
The investigation started more than three years ago, when police were called to a Home Depot in Altamonte Springs, Florida, for the report of someone using drugs in the parking lot. When they arrived, they found Watters had several fake driver’s licenses with names and information of several well-known people.
Investigators said Watters used fraudulent checks with the names of those celebrities and other personal information at various stores to pay for thousands of dollars’ worth of goods and services. Watters would then return the goods for cash, investigators said.
According to FDLE, Watters said he liked to do the purchase-and-return scheme for the thrill of it.
Banks said people like Watters who steal other people’s identities sometimes have nothing to lose.
“Sometimes they are in prison. This individual was doing federal prison time for just this kind of act,” Banks said. “We are coming after them if they don’t learn their lesson.”
Backstreet Boys singer Dorough told investigators that collection companies were calling and he could not figure out how his information was used for fraudulent checks.
Watters is in the Seminole County Jail in lieu of $220,000 bond.
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